Terracotta, Tencel, Indigo
52” H x 14” W (bowl)
As a ceramic and fiber artist, Nicole McLaughlin has been heavily influenced by her multicultural upbringing. As a daughter of an American father and Mexican mother—her identity has long been shaped by a collision of two cultures. Nicole earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute. Her work has been exhibited nationally and is held in numerous private collections, as well as the permanent collections of the Fuller Craft Museum and the Fidelity Investments Art Collection. In 2024, she was named an Emerging Artist by Ceramics Monthly and was included in Objects: USA 2024, the American Design Triennial group exhibition presented by R & Company in New York City. The exhibition celebrated the groundbreaking work of some of today’s most innovative American artists and designers. Her studio practice engages in the preservation of craft traditions through intentional reinvention. Nicole draws inspiration from Mexican ceramics, textiles, and cultural tradition to explore the intersection of motherhood, femininity, and cultural inheritance. The reflection on her evolving identity after becoming a mother has brought with it, the greatest responsibility—to foster a connection that transcends time.
Nicole is currently working from her home studio in Yarmouth Port, MA and is represented by Anderson Yezerski Gallery in Boston, MA.
Terracotta, Tencel, Wool, Cochineal
7 ft. H (recommended) x 18” W (Bowl)
As a ceramic and fiber artist, Nicole McLaughlin has been heavily influenced by her multicultural upbringing. As a daughter of an American father and Mexican mother—her identity has long been shaped by a collision of two cultures. Nicole earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute. Her work has been exhibited nationally and is held in numerous private collections, as well as the permanent collections of the Fuller Craft Museum and the Fidelity Investments Art Collection. In 2024, she was named an Emerging Artist by Ceramics Monthly and was included in Objects: USA 2024, the American Design Triennial group exhibition presented by R & Company in New York City. The exhibition celebrated the groundbreaking work of some of today’s most innovative American artists and designers. Her studio practice engages in the preservation of craft traditions through intentional reinvention. Nicole draws inspiration from Mexican ceramics, textiles, and cultural tradition to explore the intersection of motherhood, femininity, and cultural inheritance. The reflection on her evolving identity after becoming a mother has brought with it, the greatest responsibility—to foster a connection that transcends time.
Nicole is currently working from her home studio in Yarmouth Port, MA and is represented by Anderson Yezerski Gallery in Boston, MA.
As the daughter of an American father and a Mexican mother, my identity has long been shaped by the collision of two cultures. My studio practice draws from this duality—both celebrating and questioning the expectations passed down to me as a woman. Through the manipulation of traditional processes and materials associated with domesticity, I begin to bridge the misunderstandings present between the maternal generations of my lineage.
Now more than ever, my work explores the intersection of motherhood, femininity, and cultural inheritance. The work created during pregnancy and in the first years of motherhood, carries the emotional and physical imprint of an indescribable and profound transformation. Cochineal dye, made from crushed insects, yields colors ranging from vibrant red to purple to pink. The transformation of organic material echoes the transformative nature of motherhood. This range of color captures an intense emotional spectrum—from the vitality of birth to the softer, more intimate moments. The use of cochineal adds a layer of historical and personal resonance, tying my own experience as a woman to the broader legacies of my Mexican heritage.
The vessel—central in my work—embodies both the symbolic and literal functions of womanhood. Fiber flows from or into the ceramic, distorting its function, but always carrying meaning. The varied use of thread symbolizes the often unseen labor of motherhood echoed in the meticulous details of knotting, binding, and embroidery. Floral motifs and intricate patterns throughout the work reflect both individual identity and broader cultural symbols of birth and rebirth. These elements express how motherhood is both a deeply personal and a shared experience across generations.
My studio practice engages in the preservation of craft traditions through intentional reinvention. Continuing the conversations woven into the tapestry of Mexican craft, I pick up the threads of those who came before and add my own voice. As I reflect on my evolving identity, becoming a mother has brought with it the greatest responsibility: to foster a connection that transcends time.